Corn-popping machine.



l. T. WOLFE.

CORN POPPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC-21,1914.

1,224,347., Patented May 1, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES: -//Vl E/VTO R 665% [m 2". 14 2216 I. T. WOLFE.

CORN. POPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21, l9l4.

1,224,347. Patented May 1, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

7 Z WITNESSES: g lNl/E/VTUR 6 Ira/[174 0]]? M ATTORNEY l. T. WOLFE.

CORN POPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.21,191'4.

1 ,224:,347. Patented May 1, 1917.

4 SHEETS-TSHEET 3,

WITNESSES: l/VVE/VTOR @WNM. [74 F. 74 522? 8.

I. T. WOLFE.

CORN POPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.2I,1914.

1,224,347.. Patented May1,1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

WITNESSES. //VVE/VTOR 4 4K glow. [m 2". W051? A TTOH/VEY UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

IRA T. WOLFE, F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

COBN-POPPING MACHINE;

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA T. WOLFE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of ashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn'Popping Machines, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to improvements in corn-popping machines, and its object is the provision of perfected means for regulating the action of a machine of this character to produce the popped corn in quantities according to the demand.

The construction, operation and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of corn-popping apparatus embodying the present invention, the framework which supports the various members of the machine being omitted. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a plan view of the mechanism through which the corn-feeding and popping devices are periodically actuated. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of Fig. 4 with parts omitted. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end view of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a rotary electric switch shown in the preceding views. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view to illustrate the electric wiring of the apparatus.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates a funnel-shaped hopper which is supplied with unpopped corn and is provided at its lower end with a discharge opening through which the corn is fed into a vessel 2. Such feeding is controlled by a shutter in the nature of a rotary drum 3 inserted in the hopper opening. The drum 3 is provided in its periphery with an opening 3 and is mounted on an axle 4 having at one end a crank-arm 5 which is connected with the coreemember 6 of a solenoid magnet 6 which serves with a spring 7 to impart oscillatory motion to the drum to turn the latter.

The vessel 2 is provided in its bottom with an electric heating device, 2, whereby the corn is popped.

Said vessel is provided with trunnions 8 and 8 journaled in frame standards 9. One of said trunnions is provided with .a

crank-arm 8 for connection by a pitman 10,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 191?.

Application filed December 21, 1914. Serial No. 878,273.

with a crank-arm 11 provided on an oscillatory shaft 12 to afford turning movements to the vessel for dumping the same. On the other trunnion, 8 is rotatably mounted a pulley 13 provided with peripheral grooves 13 and 13 for endless belts 1d and 14 by which rotary motion is transmitted from a grooved pulley 16 on a power driven shaft 16 to a pulley 15 for rotating the shaft 15. The latter is mounted in bearings secured to the vessel 2 and is employed to drive a shaft 17 disposed axially of said vessel.

18 represents a pair of bevel gears operatively connecting the shafts 15 and 17 17 represents blades carried radially upon the shaft 17 to effect the stirring of the corn within the vessel.

Below the vessel 2 is a chute 19 connected to a cylindrical cage or screen 20 mounted upon an inclined shaft 21 which is rotated from the power shaft 16 by a belt 22 passing about pulleys 21 and 16 on the respective shafts and guided by the pulleys 23. The contents of the vessel 2 upon being dumped into the chute 19, are caused thereby to enter the higher end of the screen 20; whence the smaller particles, such as have not been popped, escape between the screen-bars into a subjacent trough 24 and th .1106 are delivered by a trough 25 into a container 26. The corn which has been popped will progressively travel the entire length of the screen and be discharged into a basket or receptacle 27. This basket is supported by thearm 28 of a lever, fulcrumed at 29, and in opposition to a weight 30 which is suspended in adjusted position to the levers other arm 28 The basket 27 is of an inverted conical shape and is desirably housed and freely movable in a casing 31 having a discharge opening at the bottom. Provided for said opening is a slidable plate 32 having an aperture therein which, when moved under the discharge opening of the basket, will allow the popped corn being withdrawn.

33 represents a tube supported by the plate its .power current-from an 35 represents an electric motor receiving suitable source, as indicated by battery B 111 Figs. 3 and 8. One-of the circuit leads 11 connects the battery B directly with a motor brush a and the other brush b of the motoris connected by a wire I) having branches 6 and b. The branch 12 is provided with a stationary terminal O of a switch whose other terminal 0 is-connected to the arm 28 of the lever which supports the basket 27. The terminal C is disposed so that when the weight of the basket and its contents are incapable of overcoming the power of weight 30, the latter will afi'ect the lever to move the terminal G into contact with the other terminal C, whereupon the mot'or circuit is completed through thereferred to wires a, b, 6 and by a branch wire at from terminal C to a main wire 6 to battery.

When this circuit is completed, the motor is actuated and also, through the oflioes of the branch wires a and b with lines a and e, the-heater 2 is energized. The motor 35 drives through the medium of worm 36 and gear wheel 37, the power. shaft 16 on which, as shown in-Figs. 3 and 4, is a bevel gearwheel 38. 39 .is a shaft having mounted thereon two bevel gear wheels 40 and 40 which are adapted to be moved by axially shifting the shaft into engagement wlth the ear-wheel 38 at diametrically opposite sides to cause the shaft 39 to be alternately driven in opposite directions. 7

One end .of shaft 39 engages a sleeve 42 provided on the end of a screw 42 and to when the springs are engaged by and sufii-- directions, and in its continued travel the,

ciently compressed by a movable nut 47 to overcome the inertia of the shaft 39 and associated parts.

The nut 47 travels on thescrew and is provided with a depending lug 47 which is apertured to loosely receive drag-rods 48 and 49 which are provided with set collars 48 and 49 arranged to be encountered by the lug of the nut when the latter approaches the'ends of its travel in opposite respective rods are moved endwise in opposition to springs 48 and 49 Bell cranks 50 and 51 are connected to the rods 48 and 49, as shown in Fi 5, and constitute dogs to engage in notches 43 and 43 provided in the shifter rod 43. The springs 48 and 49 act to yieldingly retain the dogs a rock-shaft. 53

50 and 51 .in engagement with drag-rod 43 to hold the-rod in position to maintain one rotary movement thereto; The nut 47 is formed .with rack-teeth 47 adapted to engage the teeth of a segmental gear 52 to efi'ect the swinging of an 'arm 53 carried by The arm 53 is connected by pitman 53 to an arm 12 on the shaft 12 to transmit oscillatory motion thereto when 'the rock shaft is suitably affected through the offices of the nut .47 and the gear 52. By thus oscillating the shaft 12, which is operatlvely connected by the arm 11 and pitman 10 to the vessel 2, when the nut is approachmg the end of= one stroke or direction of 'travel'and during the early portion of the nuts travel in a contrary direction, the ves sel 2 is first tilted to dump its contents into chute 19 and then is returned to the posit1on in which it is shown in the views.

54 denotes a shaft having mounted thereon a ratchet wheel 55 having, for example, six teeth which are successively engaged by a pawl 56 which is carried by the nut 47 to impart intermittent rotary movements to the shaft 54. Also mounted on this shaft is a wheel 57: provided in its periphery with an electric conducting" element 57 ofa circumferential length, in the present example of approximately 300, thus leaving a gap of about 60 between the ends of the element and corresponding to at least the spacing between the teeth on the ratchet wheel 55.

58 represents anarm secured to the rockershaft 53 and carries a terminal f of a circuit wlref which is connected to the. windingof the solenoid magnet 6 The complementary wire of the magnet is afforded by a branch wire a of the wire a. The terminal f is swung down into contact with the vheel 57 when the shaft 53 is suitably rocked. A termznal gfor wire 6 is provided to contact with the wheel 57 in proximity to the telrimilnal f when the latter contacts with the w ee A bifurcated terminal a providing two 47 progressively engage the teeth of wheel 52 the shaft 53 is turned to swing the arms 53 and 58 from the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 1 to where they are shown in Fig. 5. Such movement of the arm 58 removes the terminal f from the wheel 57 to break the circuit of the solenoid magnet 6 to compress the same until, near the end of the nuts travel, the nut-lug 47 engages the collar 49 and moves the rod 49 therewith, resulting in the withdrawal of the dog 51 from its engagement with the shifting-rod 43. When thus released, the spring 46 asserts its power to impartendwise movement to the shaft 39 and cause the previously engaged gear 40 to be removed from, and the other gear 40 to be brought into, engagement with the driving gear 38. When the rod 43 is thus shifted, it is engaged by the pawl 50 to secure the same against accidental movement such as would uncouple the gears 40 and 38. The last named gears being in mesh, the screw 42 is caused to rotate in an opposite direction, resulting in the nut 47 being moved toward the right (Fig. 5) resulting in the wheel 52 being turned to swing the terminal 7 into contact with the wheel 57 and the arm 53, influencing the vessel 2 to restore it to its upright position, as illustrated in Fig. 1. When the terminal f is thus brought into contact with the wheel conductor 57 the circuit of the magnet Gis completed to cause the core 6 to exercise a pull on the crank-arm 5 and turn the shutter 3 so as to deposit a quantity of corn into the vessel 2.

When the nut 47 approaches the righthand end of the screw, the spring 46 is compressed and the dog 50 is disengaged from the shifter-rod 43, resulting in the gear 40 being then engaged with the driving gear 38, with a reversal in the turning of the screw and a return movement of the nut.

During the last portion of each travelof the nut toward the left (Fig. 5) the pawl 56 which is carried by the nut engages a tooth of the ratchet wheel to give a partial turn to the same, so that the conductor 57 is revolubly moved into and out of contact with the terminal 9 and into corresponding position with respect to the terminal ,7 when the latter is swung down. By such devices, series of currents above named terminals when the conductor" between the ends of the conductor isJ opfive operations is performed by the referred corn-popping devices,

posed to the terminals, the respective cir-- cuits are incomplete.

Accordingly, there is a cessation of electrical impulses and he resulting inaction of the-hopper shutter 3 when such terminals are not in contact with said conductor.

In the present example, a succession of pass through the circuits which include the to members, and they remain idle during the interim that the portion 6f the periphcry of wheel 57 which is unprovided with a conductor is subjected to the referred to terminals and during the time which would elapse for the nut to travel the length of the screw 42 and return.

The switch contacts C and C are in open condition when the weight of the popped corn within the basket 27 is sufiicient to overcome the counterweight 30 and, under such a condition, the motor is out of circuit when the wheel 57 is in the rotary position indicated in Fig. 8; that is to saywith the part ofthe wheel 57 intermediate the ends of the conductor 57 The heater circuit (including wires b and a is thereupon also out of circuit and the popping'of corn in the vessel 2 is temporarily interrupted. When the basket 27 is, however, relieved of some of its weight, the weight 30 will cause the lever arm 28 to swmg down with the contact 0 to close the switch CC and render the heater operative by. a current which may be traced as follows from battery through wire (1, switch C-C, wires 5 b to heater and thence by wires a a, back to battery. Simultaneously, the motor circuit passes, as above, to the switch and thence by wires 6 b to motor and back J to battery by wire a.

The motor being thus energized, becomes operative to actuate the screw 42, as above explained, and by which the nut is opswitch CC which remains closed until the basket sinks under weight of a new supply of corn; second, motor and heater operate during the first cycle of travel of the nut 47 to allow the heater to hem condition to pop the corn and to turn the wheel 57 so that the conductor-plate 57 thereof is brought into contact with terminal g and into position to be engaged by the terminal f ,I

(when it is swung down), whereupon corn is fed to the vessel 2 and popping occurs in the following cycle.

Five batches of corn will then-be suc cessively popped in and dumped from the vessel 2 regardless of when the basket 27 settles down. The quantity of corn required .in the basket 27 to tilt the lever 2828 is 1. In a machine of the class described, an electric circuit controlling said devices, a receptacle for popped corn, andmeans operatively connected with said receptacle for closing said circuit in response to a decrease below a predetermined amount of the corn in said receptacle and for opening said circuit in response to the increase above a predetermined amount of the corn in sald receptacle.

2. In a machine of the class described, nor- ;mally inoperative corn-popping devices,

means for operating said devices, a receptacle for popped-corn, and means actuated by a variation in the weight of corn in said receptacle for controlling said operating means. j

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination'wi'th a vessel in which corn is popped, pf a'hopper for supplying corn to said vessel, a receptacle for popped corn, an instrument normally inoperative'for controlling the discharge of said hopper, a motor, means actuated by a variation in the weight of corn in said receptacle for governing said. motor, and means for continuing the operation of said motor for a predetermined period'of action after said governing means has been actuated by an overweight of corn in said receptacle to stop said motor.

4. In a corn-popping machine, a hopper, a shutter for said hopper, an electric cir cuit, an electro-magnet included in said circuit, a movable element adapted to be' attracted by said magnet and operativelyconnected with said shutter, means for opening and closing said circuit, and mechanical :means for controlling the aforesaid means whereby the hopper-shutter is caused to be successively moved into open position between relatively extended periods of rest.

5. In a machine of the class described, a

tiltable vessel, an electric heater therefor, a-

hopper arranged to discharge into said vessel, means to open and close the discharge opening of the hopper, a circuit for said heater, a switch for'the circuit, mechanical means to periodically effect the tilting of said vessel and also influencing the firstnamed means whereby the same is actuated for the discharge of corn from the hopper only between certain tilting movements ofoperative and operative, and means operated by the motor to effect the operation of the first named means and also ofthe heater independently'of the office of said switch.

7. In a machine of the class described, a vessel, an electric heater therefor, a hopper, electrically actuated means for controlling the delivery of corn from the latter into said vessel, a receptacle for the corn popped in said vessel, electrical circuits connected with the heater and said means, a switch included in said circuits, and means operatively connected to the receptacle whereby the decrease in the weight of the contents thereof will effect the closing of said switch to complete said circuits, and when such weight is increased the switch is thereby opened to break the circuits.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a hopper, a shutter therefor, a spring tending to yieldingly hold the shutter in closed position, a solenoid operatively connected to.

said shutter, a tiltable vessel, an electric heater provided forsaid vessel, an electric motor, mechanical connections between the motor and said vessel for periodically tilting thesame, electric circuits connected with said solenoid and the heater, and means included in said circuit and operated by said motor whereby the circuit of the solenoid is periodically energized to efiect the opening of said shutter in opposition to said spring.

9. A machine of the class described, comprisinga corn popper, actuating mechanism for said corn popper, an electric circuit controlling said actuating mechanism, areceptacle for popped corn, and means for open-' ing and closing said circuit in responseto a variation in the weight of popped corn in said receptacle.

10. A machine of the class described, com-" prising a hopper for raw corn, a corn popper, means for discharging corn from said hopper into said corn popper, electrically. I

actuated means for operating said popper, a receptacle for popped corn, and a switch actuated by a variation in the weight of corn in said receptacle for governing said electrically actuated popper operating means.

11. A machine of the class described, comprising a hopper for raw corn, a corn popper, means for discharging corn from said hopper into said corn popper, a receptacle for popped corn, electrically operated mecha- :n'ism for actuating said corn popper, a circuit connected with said mechanism, means actuated by a variation in the weight of corn in said receptacle for governing said circuit and means for continuing the operation of said corn popper for a predetermmed period of action a ter said governing means has been actuated by an overweight of corn in said receptacle to stop said popper.

12. A machine of the class described, comprising a corn popper, a receptacle for popped corn, electrically "operated mechanism for actuating said corn popper, a circuit connected with said mechanism, means actuated by a variation in'the weight of corn in said receptacle for governing said circuit, and means for continuing the operation of said corn popper for a predetermined period of action after said governing means hasbeen actuated by an overweight of corn in said receptacle to stop said popper.

13. A machine of the class described, comprising a hopper for raw corn, a corn popper, electrically operated means for delivering corn from said hopper into said corn popper, anelectric-heater associated with said corn popper, an electric circuit connected with said electrically operated delivering means and with said heater, and timing mechanism associated with said circuit whereby said heater is permitted to become heated after said circuit is closed before corn is delivered into said popper.

14. A machine of the class described, comprising a hopper for raw corn, a corn popper, means for delivering corn from said hopper to said corn popper, a receptacle for popped corn, an electric heater associated with said corn popper, a'stirring device in said corn popper, a motor, an electric circuitconnected with said motor and with said heater, a switch, and means associated with said receptacle for popped corn for opening and closing said switch in response to a variation in the weight of the corn in said receptacle above or below a predetermined amount.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 1st day of December, 1914.

IRA T, WOLFE. Witnesses:

' E. PETERSON,

HORACE BARNES. 

